Antiquity and Peopling of the Deccan – an Ancient DNA approach – RUSA project – from Archaeology to Technology (2)

Antiquity and Peopling of the Deccan – an Ancient DNA approach – RUSA project – from Archaeology to Technology (2)

Project Title: Antiquity and Peopling of the Deccan – an Ancient DNA approach: The MKU-RUSA supported research project entitled “Antiquity and Peopling of the Deccan – an Ancient DNA approach”, to work in a collaborative venture between the Dept. of Archaeology, Govt. of Tamil Nadu and School of Biological Sciences, Madurai Kamaraj University[1]. As most of the archaeological sites have been near to Madurai, MKU might have chosen for the research and setting up the laboratory. Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS), launched in 2013 aims at providing strategic funding to eligible state higher educational institutions. The central funding (in the ratio of 60:40 for general category States, 90:10 for special category states and 100% for union territories) would be norm-based and outcome dependent. The funding would flow from the central ministry through the state governments/union territories to the State Higher Education Councils before reaching the identified institutions. The funding to states would be made on the basis of a critical appraisal of State Higher Education Plans, which would describe each state’s strategy to address issues of equity, access and excellence in higher education. Yet, the states blaming the Centre for the sanctioning and allocation of funds is noted very often.

Department of Genetics Madurai Kamaraj University:  Department of Genetics was established in 1990. The former heads of the Department were –

1. Prof. T. J. Panidan,
2. Prof. S. Mathavan and
3. Prof. P. Gunasekaran.

Cancer Genetics and Microbial Genetics are the broad research areas of the Department, at present. Complex regulations in cancer cells and microbes have been investigated with molecular genetics, genomics and proteomice since 1990, 45 major research projects were completed by the former and current faculty members of the Genetic Department and 55 Ph.D students were awarded from the Department. At present, there are 7 major projects being investigated in the Department with the support of DBT, DST, ICMR, and UGC. Cancer Genetics Laboratory in the Department of Genetics is focusing on understanding the altered signalling pathways and their regulation In gastric, liver and breast §§J1§#F§ to recognize therapeutically vulnerable targets. So, now it is evident that the department has turned towards genetic studies in a different manner focused on the people of the ancient Tamilgam.

MKU ancient DNA research oriented to TN Archaeology: Dr. Kumaresan is involved in investigating ancient genomics of the archaeological human, animal, plant, and bacterial remains from the archaeological excavations of  Dept.  of  Archaeology, Government of  TamilNadu,  India[2]. The Ancient  DNA  Program  of  MKU  is  progressing in  the following  aspects: 

1. Ancient  Human  DNA  Analysis, 
2. Animal  DNA  Analysis, 
3. Plant  DNA Analysis,
4. Sedimental DNA analysis,
5. Microbial DNA Analysis,
6. Organic Molecular Analysis,
7. Proteomics,  etc.

The  human  and animal skeletal and  floral  remains  from  Keeladi,  Kondagai, Adichanallur,  Sivagalai,  Kodumanal  and  Mayiladumparai are  investigated  in  genomic  contexts with the contemporary modern and ancient genomes across the globe to understand the ancient biology  as  well  as  to  provide  biological  evidence  to  the scientific  missions  of  the Archaeology Department of Govt. of Tamil Nadu. Here, how the genetic experts would deal with Dravidian, non-Dravidian or Aryan categories has to be noted carefully. It has already been pointed out that Pitchappan has already talked about the Dravidian category.

Ancient DNA Lab was inaugurated in November 2022: The lab, which was inaugurated in November 2022, has begun preliminary work on conducting ancient DNA analysis on human, animal, and plant samples collected by the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology (TNSDA) and ASI[3]. According to a press statement from the university, the main objective of the Ancient DNA lab was to generate and analyze DNA data from the archaeological excavations of Tamil Nadu. The lab had been established following the models at the University of Chicago and Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Lucknow[4]. Professor G Kumaresan, Head, Department of Genetics, School of Biological Sciences, MKU, “We have begun the dry run. The samples are expectedly contaminated because they remained buried deep for centuries together. We are now being assisted by the Harvard team in extracting DNA from the human samples with minimal damage,” told to DH. “The team is helping us with the techniques they have successfully followed so far,” Kumaresan added. Kendra Sirak, of David Reich Lab of the prestigious Harvard Medical School, US who has so far analyzed 500 DNA samples, is an expert in extracting DNA without disturbing the skull much and lessons from her will only help those at the MKU lab learn the tricks of the trade.

DNA tests to corroborate people with Sangam period: DNA is extracted mainly from teeth and petrous bones of the human samples which is used as the primary input. “DNA is generally extracted from Calculus bone and from the root of the teeth. The extracted portion is then processed and computationally analysed. We will then compare the data of ancient DNA with global data to understand migration (of people) and the linkages with global populations,” Kumaresan added. Sirak said her team was excited to collaborate with MKU team to study DNA from people who lived in Tamil Nadu long ago. “We will combine our expertise in hopes to generate authentic ancient DNA sequences that will help us to learn more about this very important part of India,” she told DH. The results of the DNA analysis generated by the MKU lab will be cross-checked by the Harvard team to ensure that the findings are right and questions are not raised over them since the samples are contaminated with bacterial DNA. The results will then be compared with thousands of ancient and modern human genomes across the globe to explain in detail the ancient human migration and will be corroborated with Sangam Literature wherever possible. Thus, it is evident that goal has been set before the research to start, samples to come from the sites, they are to be tested in the newly set up laboratory etc.

Lab could test all biological samples: Apart from ancient DNA, the MKU team is also exploring the proteins from skeletal remains and organic molecules from the potsherds of the offering pots. Some of the molecules retrieved so far includes Floxuridine (rice), Orotic Acid (milk), Myristic Acid (myristica), Ricinoleic Acid (castor) and cholesterol (animal fats). The MKU lab has already sequenced about 1500 millions of DNA fragments from 20 samples of humans, animals, and plants. The DNA collected from the samples will help understand the agricultural and trade practices, while the organic molecular analysis would reveal the agricultural, cultural, and social practices in Tamil Nadu during 500 BCE – 2500 BCE. The retrieval of rice is significant as pollen analyses of samples from the first phases of excavations in Keeladi found that excess production of rice contributed to the growth of the urban city while fertile land played “an active role” for the evolution of the habitation. The excess production of rice prompted the settlers to set sail in the seas to far-away lands that are chronicled in several literatures, the ASI report, which is yet to be made public, says. The non-publication of excavation reports has been a drawback not only for the excavators, but also for the researchers, as they could not quote the findings for their reference. Therefore, the excavating groups, concerned departments and authorities should take the initiative to publish the reports within a reasonable time.

What Romila Thapar says about genetic studies[5]: Romila Thapar has pointed out the following in the context of genetic studies:

• It is assumed that genetic analyses can provide some evidence of human population origins and social history in India. But so far, the results have been contradictory, and historians find it difficult to use them with any certitude.
• Race as a category is unknown to traditional Indian classifications. It was imported from Britain and was used mainly by Europeans writing on Indian society, although subsequently it came to be used by Indians as well.
• Attempts have been made recently to determine the identity of the so-called “Aryans” as components of the Indian population by using DNA analysis. This is largely to ascertain whether they were indigenous to India or were foreign arrivals.
• Similar attempts have been made to trace the origins of caste groups on the basis of varna identities and record their distribution. The results so far have been contradictory and, therefore, not of much help to social historians.
• There are problems in the defining of categories and the techniques of analysis.
• Aryan is a linguistic and cultural category and not a biological one.
• Caste groups have no well-defined and invariable boundaries despite marriage codes. Various other categories have been assimilated into particular castes as part of the evolution of social history on the subcontinent.

© K. V. Ramakrishna Rao

18-06-2024

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[1] Antiquity of peopling of Deccan – An ancient DNA approach with grant nurnber MKU-RUSA/2020/48.

[2] Ancient Genomics of the Archaeological remains of Tamil Nadu – https://mkuniversity.ac.in/new/school/sbs/kumaresan.php

[3] The Hindu, Ancient DNA and BSL 3 laboratories inaugurated in Madurai Kamaraj University, THE HINDU BUREAU, Published – November 17, 2022 10:42 pm IST – MADURAI; Updated – November 18, 2022 11:28 am IST.

[4] https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Madurai/ancient-dna-and-bsl-3-laboratories-inaugurated-in-madurai-kamaraj-university/article66150429.ece – :~:text=According%20to%20a%20press%20statement,Sahni%20Institute%20of%20Palaeosciences%2C%20Lucknow.

[5] Thapar, Romila. “Can genetics help us understand Indian social history?.” Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology 6.11 (2014): a008599.

The “Ariyar” in the Sangam literature and the Dravidian problem – a relook into the old issues (1)

The  “Ariyar” in the Sangam literature and the Dravidian problem  – a relook into the old issues (1)

A talk on Aryans and Dravidians: As a part of the lecture series of the Indological Research Institute (IRI), on 08-06-2024, Dr K. V. Ramakrishna Rao IRS (Retd.,) spoke about the  “Ariyar” in the Sangam literature and the Dravidian problem. The lecture has been summarized and added with the points discussed after the lecture. Though, leading historians have also accepted the myth of racial Aryans, now the genetic experts, heritadary researchers and inherited pundits have revived the same pseudo-scientific race concepts in different forms. In 1989, Romila Thapar[1] also pointed out the fallacy of carrying over of these myths by Indian scholars and Educational curricula:

“The theory of Aryan race arose out of European preoccupations and preconceptions and was applied to the early Indian past during the period of the colonial interpretation of Indian history. It does not have its roots in Indian view of the past. Nevertheless, it has been accepted and has become an axiom of Indian historical interpretation. Whereas scholars working on the European past have questioned this theory, we in India hold fast onto it and those who attempt alternate interpretations of the sources are few and far between”.

However, later, she has been equivocal[2]. Earlier, during the 19^th and 20^th centuries, in spite of the fact that race and language were two separate entities, the race experts, racist historians and racialist scientists propounded about many races. Now in 21^st century also similar hypotheses are floated based on the DNA studies.

A brief on modern theory – Aryans and Dravidians discussed on the genetic studies: According to the “out of Africa” hypothesis, the human species, having evolved to its modern form in East Africa some 150,000 years ago, thereafter embarked on populating the entire globe in a stepwise migration process beginning about 70,000–90,000 BP.  However, the dates change depending upon the number of samples, such species found at different places in Africa, all humans share a relatively recent common ancestry, but the story in the deeper past is more complicated than our species evolving in just a single location or in isolation[3], the tools used etc. As the researchers have not been agreeing with each other, the debate continues generally focused on two models—recent African origin (Stringer and Andrews 1988[4]) and multiregional evolution (Wolpoff, Wu, and Thorne 1984[5]). A morphological advantage of the modern phenotype— possibly reducing childbirth mortality—is proposed as the cause of the transition[6].  The miscegenation always poses a challenge and they could not fix it, where it happened first and ten continued for the millions of years to settle down with some definite anatomy, morphology or any other anthropological factor. The debate of miscegenation continues with diffusion and migration leading to admixture and interbreeding.

Neandarthal versus “out of Africa” (OOA)?: Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis) are archaic hominids, supposed to be most similar to modern humans. These hominids, extinct members of the Homo genus, populated Europe and parts of western and central Asia before their disappearance 25,000 years ago (Tattersall, 1995). Fossil evidence suggests that Neanderthals probably coexisted with anatomically modern humans (i.e. Cro-Magnon) for 20,000 years (Finlayson et al., 2006).

• Neanderthals have been shown to share more genetic variants with present-day non-Africans than Africans. Recent admixture between Neanderthals and modern humans outside of Africa was proposed as the most parsimonious explanation for this observation[7].
• Recent studies have found evidence of introgression from Neanderthals into modern humans outside of sub-Saharan Africa. Given the geographic range of Neanderthals, the findings have been interpreted as evidence of gene exchange between Neanderthals and modern humans descended from the Out-of-Africa (OOA) migration. 
• Further analyses suggest that these differences are likely due to recent non-African admixture in these populations. After accounting for recent non-African admixture, the results do not support the alternative model of older (e.g., >100 kya) admixture between modern humans and Neanderthal-like hominids within Africa[8].
• The claim of Neandarthal is revealed in other scientific interpretations also. Detecting archaic introgression in modern humans without using an unadmixed reference panel reveals higher Neanderthal ancestry in African individuals than previously seen and suggests that back-to-Africa migrations contributed to this signal.[9]

Genetic interpretation of race: The conception of “race” here proposed is based upon the following fundamental postulates:

(1) that the original ancestral species population was genetically relatively heterogeneous;

(2) that by migration away from this original ancestral group, individual families became dispersed over the earth;

(3) that some of the groups thus dispersed became geographically isolated from one another and remained so isolated for more or less considerable periods of time;

(4) that upon all these isolated groups several of the following factors came into play as conditions leading to evolutionary change:

(a) the genetic drift or inherent variability of the genotypic, materials composing each individual member of the group;

(b) physical change in the action of a gene associated, in a partial manner, with a particular character, that is, gene mutation.

Going back to old theories: Ever since the advent of “Ariyar” in Indian history, the word “Aryan” has assumed significance and far-fetching linguistic and racial connotations. Then came, the advent of “Dravidians”. Caldwell’s linguistic invention was given a racial twist by the Westerners and Indian scholars, though the concept of race and language are two separate entities. Leaving these hypotheses and theories aside, an attempt is made in this paper to study the word “Ariyar” as found in the ancient Tamil literature, popularly known as Tamil Sangam literature. In the ancient Tamil literature, the word “Ariyar”, “Ariyan”, “Ariya” etc., are found in various places with their other forms and have been used both as nouns and adjectives.

Natrinai: It is the heading the list of Ettuttogai and its general theme is love. The word “Ariyar” appears in the 170^th poem, sung by an unknown poet. The companion of the heroin of the poem wants that the hero might be seduced by the beautiful lonely dancing girl. She compares the victory of the Virali (the dancer), who came to a festival clad in a leaf-garment, over her group to the fact that the famous town of Mullur, the “Ariya” soldiers swarmed, but ran away before the lance-battalion of Malayan (a Cheran), who unsheathed a shining sword and attacked with his large army. From this, we can see that the people who came from the north to attack Cheras were known as “Ariyar”.

Kuruntogai: Literally meaning ‘a collection of short poems’, it comes next and its theme is also love. The word “Ariyar” appears in the verse 7, line 3. Here, it is described how “Ariyars” dance on a tied rope according to the beatings of a drum. “The forest full of bamboos were rattled the white ripe seeds of shivering vakai tree (Sirisa tree) tossed by the wind like the drumming of the “Ariyar” dancing on the rope”. Therefore, here it is evident that “Ariyar” refers to a group of jugglers or tumblers, who performed acrobatics.

© K. V. Ramakrishna Rao

12-06-2024

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[1] Romila Thapar, Which of us are Aryans?, Seminar – 364, December, 1989, Nrew Delhi, pp.14-18.

[2] Thapar, Romila. “Can genetics help us understand Indian social history?.” Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology 6.11 (2014): a008599.

[3] Aaron Ragsdale, a population geneticist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, says to Reuters’ Will Dunham. Reported on May 25, 2023.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/dna-suggests-modern-humans-emerged-from-several-groups-in-africa-not-one-180982242/

[4] stringer, c. b., and p. andrews. 1988. Genetic and fossil evidence for the origin of modern humans. Science 239: 1263–68.

[5] wolpoff, m. h., x. wu, and a. g. thorne, 1984. “Modern Homo sapiens origins: A general theory of human evolution involving the fossil evidence of East Asia,” in The origins of modern humans. Edited by F. H. Smith and F. Spencer, pp. 411–83. New York: Alan Liss.

[6] Eswaran, Vinayak. “A diffusion wave out of Africa: The mechanism of the modern human revolution?.” Current Anthropology 43.5 (2002): 749-774.

[7] Yang, Melinda A., et al. “Ancient structure in Africa unlikely to explain Neanderthal and non-African genetic similarity.” Molecular biology and evolution 29.10 (2012): 2987-2995.

[8] Wang, Shuoguo, et al. “Apparent variation in Neanderthal admixture among African populations is consistent with gene flow from non-African populations.” Genome biology and evolution 5.11 (2013): 2075-2081.

[9] Chen, Lu, et al. “Identifying and interpreting apparent Neanderthal ancestry in African individuals.” Cell 180.4 (2020): 677-687.